Regulating calcium handling in skeletal muscle - implications for muscle contraction, injury and repair, ageing and development. Understanding the mechanisms regulating calcium in skeletal muscle has important relevance for studying muscle growth and development, injury and repair, and for identifying therapeutic targets and potential therapies for ageing-related disorders, reconstructive surgery, sporting and workplace injuries, and muscle diseases. Combining cell physiology, fluorescence micro ....Regulating calcium handling in skeletal muscle - implications for muscle contraction, injury and repair, ageing and development. Understanding the mechanisms regulating calcium in skeletal muscle has important relevance for studying muscle growth and development, injury and repair, and for identifying therapeutic targets and potential therapies for ageing-related disorders, reconstructive surgery, sporting and workplace injuries, and muscle diseases. Combining cell physiology, fluorescence microscopy and digital imaging technologies for studying multicellular tissues such as skeletal muscle will enhance the international competitiveness of Australian biological research. The research will optimise development of gene delivery systems that may find eventual application for muscle wasting disorders and conditions where muscle weakness compromises quality of life.Read moreRead less
Enhancing sunscreen DNA and photo-ageing protection. Skin damage from UV exposure is costly for individuals and the community, particularly in Australia, where the population has predominantly fair skin. While public campaigns to persuade the population to use sun protection and avoidance have been useful, this project will be the first to extend this approach to deliver a way to reduce sun damage from any UV exposure that does nevertheless occur, by incorporating the active agents into topical ....Enhancing sunscreen DNA and photo-ageing protection. Skin damage from UV exposure is costly for individuals and the community, particularly in Australia, where the population has predominantly fair skin. While public campaigns to persuade the population to use sun protection and avoidance have been useful, this project will be the first to extend this approach to deliver a way to reduce sun damage from any UV exposure that does nevertheless occur, by incorporating the active agents into topical sunscreens or creams for after-sun use. The project will also build infrastructure for translational research on photo-damage, combining world-class facilities for this research with advanced formulation and manufacturing operations.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE200100122
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$620,000.00
Summary
Returning WA Rapid Acquisition Fluorescent Microscopy to the cutting edge. The equipment proposal aims to establish West Australia's only super-rapid-speed, high throughput confocal microscopy facility. The technology will provide researchers in biotechnology, medicine, environmental biology and agriculture with contemporary state-of-art opportunities to analyse living cells and/or large-area tissue specimens in three-dimensions with the highest possible speed and high-resolution. West Australia ....Returning WA Rapid Acquisition Fluorescent Microscopy to the cutting edge. The equipment proposal aims to establish West Australia's only super-rapid-speed, high throughput confocal microscopy facility. The technology will provide researchers in biotechnology, medicine, environmental biology and agriculture with contemporary state-of-art opportunities to analyse living cells and/or large-area tissue specimens in three-dimensions with the highest possible speed and high-resolution. West Australia hosts 1 twelve-year old historic rapid-acquisition confocal microscope that is heavily subscribed, no longer manufactured and prone to regular, prolonged, costly breakdowns. Accessing high-speed confocal systems in other states is not a viable option putting WA-based researchers at a significant disadvantage.Read moreRead less
Improving road safety: advanced hybrid vehicle-based technology for monitoring driver drowsiness. Innovative technology geared towards reducing road accidents and fatalities (for improving public health) will constitute major socio-economic benefit to Australia. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau notes fatigue as a major cause of road accidents (2006). The World Health Organisation dedicated World Health Day 2004 to road safety and emphasized the importance of combating fatigue ('Road Safety ....Improving road safety: advanced hybrid vehicle-based technology for monitoring driver drowsiness. Innovative technology geared towards reducing road accidents and fatalities (for improving public health) will constitute major socio-economic benefit to Australia. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau notes fatigue as a major cause of road accidents (2006). The World Health Organisation dedicated World Health Day 2004 to road safety and emphasized the importance of combating fatigue ('Road Safety is no Accident'). This research will develop an innovative driver drowsiness detecting technology. With drowsiness attributable to substantial road fatalities, this technology aims to reduce this emotional and socio-economic burden on the community, contributing to national and community benefit by providing a safer road environment.Read moreRead less
Fluid Dynamics of Circulation: Focus on the Kidney. In Australia, about 30% of adults have hypertension, a major risk factor for heart disease, accounting for about 40% of all deaths. Problems in renal circulation are likely factors leading to hypertension. A detailed understanding of the renal circulation, of whose hydraulic characteristics we have limited knowledge, is required before we can cure or prevent hypertension. We will determine how the size, structure and geometry of the blood vesse ....Fluid Dynamics of Circulation: Focus on the Kidney. In Australia, about 30% of adults have hypertension, a major risk factor for heart disease, accounting for about 40% of all deaths. Problems in renal circulation are likely factors leading to hypertension. A detailed understanding of the renal circulation, of whose hydraulic characteristics we have limited knowledge, is required before we can cure or prevent hypertension. We will determine how the size, structure and geometry of the blood vessels influence the function of the kidney. This will lead to predictive models to aid the design and interpretation of physiological studies and the combat of hypertension. It will also help in the ongoing development of bioartificial kidneys to replace present dialysis systems. Read moreRead less
Plasticity in placental vasculature and the evolution of viviparity in lizards. This cross-disciplinary research will provide thorough understanding of the reproductive physiology of animals with different forms of reproduction, information critical for conservation and management of Australia's biodiversity. Australia's unique reptiles provide the best animal system in the world for research in this area. Our research on maternal-embryonic interactions in this animal model has direct implicatio ....Plasticity in placental vasculature and the evolution of viviparity in lizards. This cross-disciplinary research will provide thorough understanding of the reproductive physiology of animals with different forms of reproduction, information critical for conservation and management of Australia's biodiversity. Australia's unique reptiles provide the best animal system in the world for research in this area. Our research on maternal-embryonic interactions in this animal model has direct implications for understanding some medical disorders, such as human angiogenic disorders. The research will strengthen ties internationally through research in South Africa, and provide training in combined biological and medical technologies. It will maintain Australia's long-term leadership in this area of research.Read moreRead less
The basis of recognition and disposal of dysfunctional proteins by clusterin. When proteins become damaged they can precipitate. A blood protein called clusterin prevents precipitation of damaged proteins. Clusterin does this by forming complexes with the damaged proteins. Clusterin is the first blood protein known to do this. We will discover which parts of clusterin are responsible for this activity. We will also discover whether cells can take up and dispose of the complexes of clusterin and ....The basis of recognition and disposal of dysfunctional proteins by clusterin. When proteins become damaged they can precipitate. A blood protein called clusterin prevents precipitation of damaged proteins. Clusterin does this by forming complexes with the damaged proteins. Clusterin is the first blood protein known to do this. We will discover which parts of clusterin are responsible for this activity. We will also discover whether cells can take up and dispose of the complexes of clusterin and damaged proteins. This work is important because some diseases (eg, Alzheimers disease) involve the toxic effects of abnormal protein precipitation. Understanding how clusterin works may help in developing better treatments for these diseases.Read moreRead less
Transduction of neuronal signals by brain macroglial cells: implications for neuronal function. Study of mechanisms regulating brain cell (neuron and glial) communication is essential for understanding of normal brain function and transformations that occur in neurodegenerative states and age-related disorders. Mechanisms underlying neuron-glia communication are not well understood. By combining cell physiology, digital imaging technologies, and genetically designed and delivered molecules we w ....Transduction of neuronal signals by brain macroglial cells: implications for neuronal function. Study of mechanisms regulating brain cell (neuron and glial) communication is essential for understanding of normal brain function and transformations that occur in neurodegenerative states and age-related disorders. Mechanisms underlying neuron-glia communication are not well understood. By combining cell physiology, digital imaging technologies, and genetically designed and delivered molecules we will enhance our understanding of this brain cell communication and critical roles played by intracellular calcium. This will enhance international competitiveness of Australian biological research and provide novel insight of glial function in neurodegeneration and potential for specific therapeutic intervention in disease.Read moreRead less
Calcium regulation in the skeletal muscle triad and along the fibre. The fundamental role of skeletal muscle is posture and movement. Alterations in the normal way calcium regulates skeletal muscle function in fatigue, age and disease states causes loss of normal function. Preventing or controlling these changes is a key therapeutic aim. However, we currently lack full understanding of key mechanisms of calcium regulation in healthy skeletal muscle. This project will define key aspects of cal ....Calcium regulation in the skeletal muscle triad and along the fibre. The fundamental role of skeletal muscle is posture and movement. Alterations in the normal way calcium regulates skeletal muscle function in fatigue, age and disease states causes loss of normal function. Preventing or controlling these changes is a key therapeutic aim. However, we currently lack full understanding of key mechanisms of calcium regulation in healthy skeletal muscle. This project will define key aspects of calcium regulation that could be crucial to developing targets for improving function of skeletal muscle under stressed states.Read moreRead less
Competition between regulatory processes in Amphibians: Testing the effects of physical and physiological factors on thermoregulation and hydroregulation. Regulation of body temperature is important for many animals, and it influences processes such as growth and reproduction. However, it is not clear to what extent wet-skinned animals can control body temperature because of evaporation. Understanding this about frogs is crucial to understanding their habitat requirements and the effects of clim ....Competition between regulatory processes in Amphibians: Testing the effects of physical and physiological factors on thermoregulation and hydroregulation. Regulation of body temperature is important for many animals, and it influences processes such as growth and reproduction. However, it is not clear to what extent wet-skinned animals can control body temperature because of evaporation. Understanding this about frogs is crucial to understanding their habitat requirements and the effects of climate change, habitat modification, and the invasion of cane toads on their populations. Amphibians are in decline worldwide, and research into the basic ways that these animals interact with the physical environment is needed before effective management plans can be produced. The unique physiological characteristics of Australian frogs make this is the best place in the world to do this research.Read moreRead less